Disposable container



Feb. 10, 1910 E ARNET ET A1. 3,494,143

DI SPOSABLE CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1968 swam: 2. mnand mum 1.. M17;

uwsnrons A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,494,143 DISPOSABLE CONTAINEREugene R. Barnett, 6268 Windsor Drive 46219, and Willard L. Barnett,3367 W. Michigan St. 46222, both of Indianapolis, Ind.

Filed Apr. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 724,402 Int. Cl. F25d 3/10; B65d 41 /32US. Cl. 62294 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relatesto a novel and advantageous disposable container which is self-cooling,that is, a container whose contents are significantly cooled by theeffect of release of a refrigerant fluid from a cartridge carriedinteriorly of the container.

Generally speaking, the concepts of the invention provide forconvenience, handiness, and ease of use; for economy of construction andassembly; for effectiveness of construction and operation; and yet alsofor safety from several standpoints.

More particular concepts provide that the refrigerantrelease means areself-contained; and there are novel means interconnecting therefrigerant cartridge and the container, in an economical manner whichprovides that the refrigerant-discharge portion of the cartridge and thecartridge-opening means are in a recessed position with respect to thecontainer end-wall. The opening means for the refrigerant cartridgeoverlies the discharge portion of the cartridge, and thereby alsobattles the stream of refrigerant-discharge against the side of therecess.

The above description is quite general and introductory; more specificdetails, components, and concepts of the overall invention appear in thefollowing detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof,taken in conjunction with the accompanying generally diagrammaticdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a disposable container according to concepts ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG.1, the view taken generally as indicated by section-line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 through 6 are fragmental detail cross-sectional views, takengenerally as indicated by section-line X of FIG. 1, illustratingdiagrammatically sequential steps of construction and assembly; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmental cross-sectional detail view, taken generally asindicated by section-line 7 of FIG. 1.

(FIGS. 3 through 7 are drawn in considerably larger scale than FIGS. 1and 2.)

As shown in the drawings, a disposable container 10 according to theillustrated embodiment comprises a casing 12 shown of cylindrical form,and having end walls which are designated a top wall 14 and a bottomwall 16.

(However, the terms top and bottom are not at all absolute; and afterthe device has been caused to perform its self-cooling function, it isexpected that the user would invert the can 10 from the orientationshown in FIG. 2, and open the container for dispensing the consumablebeverage 18 by fracturing what is here referred to as the bottom wall16. If desired, pull-tab" or other can-opening means may be provided,desirably in that bottom wall 16; although in some utilizations it maybe desirable to make the top wall 14 or a portion of the casing 12 asthe openable wall for dispensing the beverage, the particularbeverage-dispensing means not being any .part of the present inventiveconcepts.)

Likewise, as not being a part of the inventive concepts, the end walls14 and 16 are shown as secured to the respective ends of the casing 12in a suitable liquid-tight manner.

According to the inventive concepts of this invention, the container 10is shown self-cooling by a capsule or canister 20 which contains asuitable refrigerant fluid 21, for example, a Freon-12 liquid, underpressure; and the refrigerant capsule 20 is shown as carried by the topwall 14, and has self-carried puncturing means 22, as are now more fullydescribed.

The refrigerant capsule 20 is shown as having a cylindrical body wall23, having a closed inner end wall 24, and an outer end wall 26 whichcarries the puncturing means 22.

The canister wall 26 is shown (see particularly FIGS. 3 and 4, andcompare them with one another) as having a. circumferentially-extendingend flange 28 (carrying a sealing film or coating strip 30) which isoverturned over the outer end of the casing 23, and which is shown asaflixed to the casing-wall 23 as by force exerted by an associatedforming tool 32, acting leftwardly in FIG. 4) which effects anoutwardly-extending but inwardly-opening circumferential locking bead orridge 34.

As shown best in FIG. 4, the ridge 34 thus serves as aposition-retaining abutment on the lower side of an inturned stiffeningbead or flange 36 provided at the end of the canister cylindrical wall23, and the out-turned cap-flange or bead 36 is abutted by thedownwardly-facing portion of the above mentioned end-flange 28; and thusthe canister cap-wall 26 is securely held in place with respect to thecylindrical cartridge-wall 23.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the means for retaining the refrigerant-capsule20 onto the can-wall 14. As there shown, the can-wall 14 has a centralopen-portion 40, the wall-portion 42 adjacent the opening-edge beingformed downwardly so that it passes over and inwardly around theturned-over cap-flange 28. (A sealing film or coating strip 44 is shownas underlying the cap-portion 42 for sealing the joint.)

Then, as by outwardly-directed force exerted (leftwardly in FIG. 5) by aforming tool 46, the wall-edge 40 is formed outwardly, and into lockingposition in the inwardly-facing groove provided by the formed ridge 34.The outwardly-formed wall-edge 40 extends circumferentially of thecentral cap-opening; and the edge 40 and the cap-wall 14 thus retain therefrigerant-capsule 20 by effectively abutting both downwardly-facingand up wardly-facing portions of the refrigerant cap-wall 26.

It will be observed that although the above-described retention of therefrigerant-capsule 20 to the external canwall 14 is shown in the samecircumferentially-extending region as is the retention of therefrigerant-capsule end-wall 26 and body-wall 23, and as shown utilizesthe formed portions of the latter-named retention means, the tworetention means do not interfere with one anothers effectiveness, but,in contrast, co-operate to a great ex tent, as shown in FIG. 6.

The puncturing means 22 will now be described. As shown, the end-wall 26of the refrigerant capsule 20 is shown formed upwardly providing aclosed tubular extension 50 the end wall 52 of which is of relativelythin- 3 ner thickness than the can-wall 26 or the other walls 23 or 24of the can 20'.

This thinness of the wall 52 provides the double function of an easilyfracturable part (for dispensing the refrigerant 21), and gives a safetyeffect by providing a yieldable portion of the overall cartridge 20which is located in a position so as not to discharge refrigerant 21 tothe beverage 18 or expose the refrigerant-capsule pressure to theinterior of the beverage-casing walls. Moreover, safety is furtherachieved by the tube-end 52 being in a position which, even throughexteriorly-facing, is overlain by a self-carried cartridge-puncturingtool means 54 now to be described.

The puncturing tool 54 is shown as a cone-shaped penetrator or piercingpoint 56 carried as shown by the lower portion or leaf 58 of a formedpiece of resilient sheetstock, the upper leaf 60 of Which is shown asaflixed by suitable securing means (shown in FIG. 2 as a rivet 62) tothe capsule-wall 26. The rate of refrigerant discharge is limited by thefact that the piercing point 56 is only of a specific size; and thustoo-rapid release of the refrigerant is avoided.

The leaves 58 and 60 are shown as formed from a single length ofmaterial; and the lower leaf 58 is formed as at 64 to engage theend-wall 26 of the refrigerant reservoir in a location between theoutlet tube 50 and the location of the securing means 62, thus servingas a fulcrum for the puncturing assembly 54 and assisting in providingthat spring-action will assure that the piercing point 56 willautomatically withdraw from the dispensing tube 50 upon release ofpuncturing force.

The leaves 58 and 60 of the puncturing assembly 54 are shown (FIGS. 1and 2) as being considerably broader than the outlet-end 52, assuringthat the discharged refrigerant fluid (whether liquid or gaseous) willbe bafiied laterally, against the axially-extending lid-wall 42, forsubsequent non-forceful escape, rather than squirting as a stream underpressure.

FIG. 2 also illustrates the concept that the entirety of the movablepuncturing assembly 54 is recessed or depressed below the plane of thecan end-wall 14; and this recessing further achieves safety by being ofsufficient dimension and nature as to assure that stacking of aplurality of the containers will not inadvertently cause th puncturingof the refrigerant-dispensing means of a lower can 10, and neither ishandling or dropping of a can 10 likely to effect such puncturing. Therefrigerant-discharge outlet tube 50 is even more recessed interiorly ofthe projected limits of the can 10, for not only is it adjacent theaxial interior of the can, it is interiorly of the can-end and isoverlain by the recessed puncturing assembly 54.

The piercing point 56 provides a pierced opening, in the outlet end-wall52 When refrigerant-discharge is desired, as to provide the rate ofrefrigerant escape for the particular refrigerant used.

It is thus seen that a disposable container according to concepts of thepresent invention provides novel and advantageous concepts and features,providing a disposable container having means for changing thetemperature of the contents thereof.

Accordingly, it will thus be seen from the foregoing description of theinvention according to this illustrative embodiment, considered with theaccompanying drawings, that the present invention provides a new anduseful disposable container, having desired advantages andcharacteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including thosehereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

Modifications and variations may be effected without departing from thescope of the novel concepts of the invention; accordingly, the inventionis not limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts hereindescribed or shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A disposable container having a chamber within which the containercontents are contained, and a closure wall which closes said chamber,there being provided for interiorly of said chamber a cartridge forcontaining a substance which when discharged alters the temperature ofsaid container contents, in an overall combination in which:

there is provided cartridge opening means self-contained in an assemblyof container and cartridge; the said cartridge-opening means includes amovable arm means having a portion thereof relatively fixed to thecontainer and having a relatively movable portion having means topenetrate said cartridge, said arm means being spring urged tonon-penetrating position with respect to the said cartridge. 2. Theinvention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which:

the said movable arm means includes an outer portion of which a portionthereof is the portion relatively fixed to said container, and arelatively inner portion engageable with said container between thelocation of said relative affixing and the location of said penetrationby the said penetrating means, thereby pr0- viding a fulcrum for themovement of said arm means. 3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 ina combination in which:

the said movable arm means carries baffle means in the path of thestream of substance-discharge achieved by said penetration, the baffiemeans being of a nature such as to baffle said stream toward a portionof said container relatively inwardly of the said container closurewall. 4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in a combination inwhich:

there is provided a recess opening outwardly of said container closurewall, but extending inwardly thereof, the said movable arm means beingcarried in the said recess, the said recess providing a double safetyfunction of:

(a) accommodating said movable arm means in a location such that theeffecting of substancedischarge requires the application thereto of aforce in a location relatively inwardly with respect to said containerclosure wall, and (b) providing that the discharge stream will bebafiied to the relatively inward location as specified in claim 10. '5.The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which:

the closure wall is provided with an upstanding tube having a closed endwall which receives the said cartridge-opening penetration; andsubstance-discharge is thereafter through said tube and out the openingprovided by the said penetration. 6. The invention as set forth in claim5 in a combination in which:

the said closed end wall is significantly thinner than the saidcontainer closure wall, providing a means which is relatively readilypenetratable upon actuation of said movable arm means, and which is alsoa yieldable means of the cartridge for the venting of excess pressuretherein and which is located in a position so as to not expose thecartridge substance to the container contents nor expose cartridgepressure to the contents chamber. 7. The invention as set forth in claim6 in a combination in which:

the said yieldab'le means is located inwardly of the said movable armmeans in a position such that any stream 'of cartridge substancedischarged therethrough will be bafiled by said movable arm means. 8. Adisposable container having a chamber within which the containercontents are contained, and a closure wall which closes said chamber,there being provided for interiorly of said chamber a cartridge forcontaining a substance which when discharged alters the temperature ofsaid container contents, in an overall combination in which:

the said container closure wall is provided with an opening throughwhich discharge of the cartridge substance is etfected; means foropening the said cartridge to achieve discharge of the cartridgesubstance; there being provided a bafiie means in the path of the streamof substance-discharge achieved by the said opening of the cartridge. 9.The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which:

the said penetrating means providing a means which opens the saidcartridge to release the substance carried therein but doe so by theprovision of an opening of limited size which restricts the rate ofsubstance-discharge.

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,765 2/1949 Palaith 622943,326,013 6/1967 Jacobs 62-294 3,369,369 2/1968 Weiss 62-371 3,373,5813/1968 Strader 62294 10 3,417,573 12/1968 Warner 62-294 WILLIAM J. WYE,Primary Examiner 15 U.S. Cl. X.R

UNITED STATES PATENT orFIcE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,494,143 February 10, 1970 Eugene R. Barnett et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 11, "through" should read though Column 4, line 47, claimreference numeral "10" should read Signed and sealed this 24th day ofNovember 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

